Cabinet ministers tell unions: 'We will not be bought'

Senior cabinet ministers insisted last night the Government was "not for sale" as they hit back at union leaders for cutting support to MPs who refuse to sign a pledge backing their left-wing policies.

Robin Cook, the Leader of the Commons, and Alan Milburn, the Secretary of State for Health, intervened in the row over union support for MPs after the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union cut almost £700,000 from its contribution to Labour and stopped sponsorship to the constituency offices of several MPs.

John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, resigned from the RMT on Wednesday in protest at the union's decision to switch its financial support to MPs who backed its campaign for rail nationalisation.

Yesterday the Communication Workers Union, one of Labour's biggest affiliates, confirmed it would cut £500,000 from its donations to the party over three years. But the union's annual conference in Blackpool defeated a proposal by hard-left activists to the scrap the link with the party. The union, which gave £1m last year to Labour, said it would use the money saved to campaign against Government policies on postal services.

Yesterday Mr Cook, who is sponsored by the RMT, told MPs: "I'm not to be bought. While I will welcome support in fighting elections from anybody who broadly supports Labour's values and wishes to work for a Labour victory, I'm not to be bought for any particular agenda and it is on this basis that I decline to sign up to an oath of loyalty. As far as I am aware, in fact I know, every other RMT MP in the House has similarly declined."

He added: "That has to be a very important, cardinal principle of membership of this House, that we come here as free representatives of our constituents with, of course, our political mandate as a party and we are here to make sure we exercise our best judgement on behalf of our constituents in line with the mandate we receive."

Mr Milburn said: "We can't and will not act as proxies for the trade union movement." He had "amenable" discussions with Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, and Sir Ken Jackson, general secretary of Amicus, he said. "We have a decent relationship and that's absolutely how it should be. But the unions have got their job to do and I've got my job to do.

"This week when I met companies from abroad, who wanted to provide health care to NHS patients in this country, I thought that was a good thing to do, Unison thought that was a bad thing to do. Well, there you are. The historical relationship between Labour and the trade unions frankly hasn't always been beer and sandwiches at Number 10.

"Occasionally there have been arguments and debate, and no doubt that will go on. We've got a job to do. We can't and will not act as proxies for the trade union movement. That is not our job. I'm a union member. They've got their job, and I've got my job. I think that is the sort of modern mature relationship we should have."